


Cousins

by wardenmages



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 13:16:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4565994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wardenmages/pseuds/wardenmages
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alistair and Connor talk in Skyhold before Alistair goes to Adamant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cousins

“Alistair, no.”

“Why not?”

“It’s  _rude_ , for one thing. Two, you honestly don’t want want to know what they’re saying.”

“And why is that?”

“You haven’t heard how many times they’ve said your name and then giggled?”

“Oh.”

“Exactly.”

Alistair grinned and leaned forward against the wall of the battlement. The wall had a lovely view of Skyhold, along with two Orlesian girls gossiping by the new infirmary. Not that he could understand a word of what they were saying; he only knew enough Orlesian to barely get by. He hadn’t needed it in Ferelden or the Free Marches, for the most part. But Connor understood them, even if he wasn’t sharing the translation.

“I honestly can’t believe you only know a dozen Orlesian words.”

“Where would I have learned them?” Alistair replied dryly. “Your mother only used the less friendly words around me, and I didn’t even learn what those meant until recently when Orlesian Wardens were whispering them at me.”

Connor smiled. “She doesn’t even use the really nasty ones. I’ve heard worse from Sister Leliana.

“She can swear in six different languages and make you think she’s complimented you,” Alistair laughed.

Both of them went silent. It was never unpleasant - Connor was one of the few people that Alistair was totally comfortable around - just peaceful. There were no expectations, no appearances to keep up, no need to watch what they said. Alistair hadn’t had that in a while, even with the Wardens.

After a few minutes, he broke the silence. “Have you been all right here?” he asked softly.

“It’s better than being in the village.” He leaned on the wall next to Alistair. “But not by much.”

“And the Inquisitor?”

“Kind enough. They’ve been checking up on me constantly, or having someone else do it. I can’t blame them,” he mumbled.

“It’s nothing to do with that.”

Connor sighed. “Isn’t it? Everything else in my life seems to be.” Alistair nudged him with his shoulder.

“I mean it. I would not lie to you, especially about this.”

A pause, and then: “I know.”

Alistair hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “I’ll be gone for a few weeks, when I go to Adamant.”

“Are you coming back after?”

“That’s my hope.”

“Promise me,” he ordered, his voice breaking.

He stood up straight and Alistair followed, pulling him into a quick hug. “I will come back. I promise.”

–~–

The Inquisition returns to Skyhold weeks later, and Alistair’s whole body hurts. He’s certain that the parts that aren’t bruised are broken somehow. And there’s a crowd waiting for them. He didn’t even realize this many people fit into Skyhold. The crowd advances to welcome back loved ones, children screaming and scrambling up to their parents and siblings. He stands at the Inquisitor’s side, intending to bustle past the crowd, peel off his armor, and sleep in a real bed the moment he enters the fortress.

Until he hears someone calling his name, and he was tired, but certainly not that tired, and suddenly someone is hugging him and rambling off a mixture of Orlesian and Trade at him so fast he barely understands even the Trade. Like mother like son, Connor always talks fast when he’s upset, and Alistair can only just keep up.

The mumbled “You actually came back” definitely registers in his head though. Alistair chokes down a sob and hugs his cousin back.

“Of course I came back. I promised you, didn’t I?” Connor grumbles something  _decidedly_  unfriendly in Orlesian and Alistair laughs, “I love you, too.” 


End file.
